Open, rolling land and gentle slopes with shrubs are the habitat of Nelson's Antelope Squirrel, which lives only in a small region of California in and near the San Joaquin Valley. The squirrels live in relatively small colonies of six to eight individuals. They seldom excavate their own burrows, preferring to use those dug by kangaroo rats. Nelson's Antelope Squirrels are omnivorous, consuming both plants and animals, with insects comprising 90 percent of their food during late spring, summer, and fall.

Merriam, C.H., 1893. Descriptions of eight new ground squirrels of the genera Spermophilus and Tamias from California, Texas, and Mexico, p. 129. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 8:129-138.